Students Tested in Defending Ideas, Debate Becomes Foundation for Service in Tourism Villages

JAKARTA — The ability to critically convey ideas and defend solutions based on community needs is a crucial asset for students before they embark on community service programmes. Having a good idea is not enough; students are required to communicate their concepts coherently so they can be implemented in the field. This was evident during the final round of the Genera-Z Berbakti 2026, a call for proposals programme by Bakti BCA, which brought together eight university teams. In the Head-to-Head stage, the finalists tested each other’s proposals through argumentation to compete for the opportunity to implement their programmes in four tourism villages supported by Bakti BCA. Panelist, scientist, and social entrepreneur Tri Mumpuni stated that the ability to convey ideas systematically is a vital aspect of designing community empowerment programmes. “Students must be able to present ideas in a coherent, clear, and structured manner so that their concepts are easily understood. After successfully understanding the root of the problem they aim to solve, they must be able to formulate solutions critically until they become tangible work programmes that can be implemented in the village,” said Tri. Ghifari, a representative from Padjadjaran University, admitted that the competitive atmosphere spurred him to deliver his best arguments. “My competitive spirit was finally triggered, so I wanted to give my best. I was confident and happy to go head-to-head to test the strength of the proposals with the opposing team,” he said. IPB University representative Miki assessed that the focus was not on who the opponent was, but on the confidence in the solution his team had formulated. “I didn’t want to think too much about the opponent. Regarding the content of the argument, I am very confident that the solution our team formulated is the best choice and is ready to be implemented,” he stated. A similar experience was felt by Rifki from UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, who tried to control his nervousness when appearing before the panelists. “Before going forward, I told myself to be strong and show my best, to present what I wanted to convey with a calm feeling, and of course to fight the fear I had,” he said. Meanwhile, Uzi from Gadjah Mada University acknowledged that the debate atmosphere was different from the discussions he usually had. “I was chosen for this round because I have a habit of debating and giving opinions in small discussions. However, this time the atmosphere was very different,” he said. Through this selection process, the four best teams will have the opportunity to run community service programmes in Kreatif Terong Tourism Village, Belitung Regency; Gunung Padang Site Tourism Village, Cianjur Regency; Patakbanteng Tourism Village, Wonosobo Regency; and Kakaskasen Dua Tourism Village, Tomohon City. Executive Vice President of Corporate Communication and Social Responsibility of BCA, Hera F. Haryn, expressed hope that the enthusiasm shown by the finalists would continue when they collaborate with the community.